Thanks to the community for helping & teaching us.
Lots of positives from this experience.

The below were from yesterday in delivery condition & awaiting our arrival - albeit a few more minor tweaks still needed - so it really hasn't ended LOL.

This post was edited by pbx2 on Wed, Apr 17, 13 at 23:13

We are within a month of moving in - outside of blinds.com any recommendations for plantation shutters, roman shades or faux wood blinds?

Thanks so much
D

http://www.elkproducts.com/

http://homeauto.com/main.asp

There are other such as Control4, Crestron, Savant, etc but they are very pricey.

Also, here is some good reading on how to wire your house/what to wire for which can get you started:

http://cocoontech.com/forums/files/file/64-wiring-your-new-house-101/

http://cocoontech.com/forums/files/file/118-wiring-your-house-102-checklist/

Hope that helps!

LightingDirect.com - I bought about a dozen light fixtures and several Hunter ceiling fans from them. No problems at all. Everything arrived on time and well packaged. Lighting Direct tells you the name of the manufacturer so you can easily compare prices with local stores and/or other on line sellers.

Overstock.com. You never know what they'll have in stock but it never hurts to look. And they will price match if you find something you like cheaper at another online vendor whose reputation may be a bit questionable. I got some great deals on Tiffany style mini-pendant lights for my kitchen. ($29.95 each). Overstock.com sometimes doesn't tell you the brand names when you shop but my pendant lights turned out to be Kichler lights that had been discontinued. They were still in their original Kichler boxes and had Kichler warranty cards enclosed. After getting mine I found a very similar Kichler fixture (slightly different Tiffany glass design but otherwise identical - same size, same pendant holder, etc.) at a local light shop for almost $200!

Craigslist.com. I know it sounds funny but sometimes people are selling brand new building supplies on Craigslist. Maybe they ordered something for their homes and then changed their minds. You just have to keep an eye out and be ready to jump on it when you see something you like and can use. I got three brand-new Blanco Silgranite sinks via Criagslist, each for about 1/3rd of the suggested retail price! You do want to carefully inspect anything you're thinking of purchasing from a Craigslist seller because you don't get any warranties.

Glacier Cloud Quartzite and Aztec Cream Granite

Any suggestions? We are already over budget and it's straining a bit. I've heard about wireless options for security or having systems linked to your cell phone instead of a company. I'm just not sure what our options are for this type of thing short of having a security company come in and do all the wiring and having to pay them for service. Have others done pre-wiring before or used wireless systems before?

Thanks,
Shannon

We just moved into a new house that had good condition standard oak floors, but that usual orange colored stain.

Here's a before look:

My wife and I really wanted that dark wood look.

Inspiration Room:

Based on the floor sample stains we saw, we chose Jacobean.
KEY: far left (Special walnut), Middle top (Special Walnut + English Chestnut), Middle center (English Chestnut), Middle bottom (Ebony + English Chestnut), Far Right (Jacobean)

The first coat of the stain was not anything close to what we wanted.

Hallway 1 coat of stain:

Family Room 1 coat of stain:

I called my flooring subcontractor, and told him its too light, and to put another coat of stain down, much to his annoyance. Here's the result:
Hallway 2 coats:

Front Hallway 2 coats:

Living Room 2 coats:

The flooring guy was telling me the color will richen a bit once the 3 coats of water based sealant are put down, and it'll even out. I'm so torn what to do, my wife is not happy at all with the color, and with how much grain shows through.

Is what he says true? Should we get him to do a 3rd stain? With a differen't color perhaps? Or is this the nature of standard oak floors, that they will always have the grain come through like this?

So if you have a blog from a past, current or future build, link it here! I would love to read it. :)

Don't be shy!

I will link mine too but it is pretty boring since we have not broken ground yet...

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

We gutted it, finding an entire other bathroom underneath which was a nightmare to remove. It was all concrete and wetbed and reinforcement wire... it was a mess. The previous owner just went right over it.

But for all the stress and anxiety, I am incredibly happy with the outcome. This may be the first house-renovation project that turned out exactly the way I wanted!

The remodel dragged on and on and on and on... All of which was my fault, since I found choosing fixtures and tile overwhelming. Mostly to do with my search for a marble look-alike tile that was a color/size/polish that I wanted... I do think the agony was eventually worth it. I really love the end result.

I wanted the remodeled bathroom to have a vintage feel- the house was built in 1890. Plus, I happen to really like subway tile and console sinks. But I also wanted it to be clean and modern. And bright! Really, really, really bright! The large mirrors and sconces through the glass really opened up the narrow room and increased the light...

I always like when other gardenweb-ers say what the best decision they made was. And even though my favorite element is the large mirror over the sink, I think I would have to say our best design decision was either the extra-tall, between-the-studs custom medicine cabinet we built, or the transom window we added. Appearance-wise they are lovely, but also incredibly practical.

More photos and info about our bathroom remodel:

• Finally finished bathroom - more photos.


• Original grungy bathroom-sink and toilet on different walls.


• Gutting the bath-finding old concrete and tile underneath.


• My advice for choosing tile.


• Tile I ended up with.- Peronda Museam


• Concealed trapway toilet.- American Standard


• Our custom DIY medicine cabinet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Finished Bathroom

As described, if I understand your numbers correctly, your budget (so far) is $211/SF, which even in urbanized areas should buy a reasonably well built and finished house.

The problem with allowances is several-fold:

--Allowances are at the mercy (and completely in the interest and control) of the builder. Many builders may deliberately low-ball allowances so as to make the initial construction cost seem reasonable or at least bareable;

--When owners really find out what they may get for a given allowance they will often find the choice(s) unsatisfactory and opt for higher end, higher prices finishes, equipment, appliances, etc. Thus, strong owner discipline is essential;

--The only way to eliminate or minimize allowances (and to know what the true, full construction expense will be (short of change orders for errors, omissions, owner's deciding to change or enlarge something during construction that was previously approved, etc.) is simple: work with a design professional, like an architect, and have as much designed and specified in the final construction documents used for bidding as humanly possible. Unfortunately, many owners find it daunting, or for other reasons, choose not to make many of the choices before bidding and construction, with the result of a long list of allowances just waiting for expensive substitutions.

You really need to do your best, disciplined due diligence from here on out and stick with the allowances given if you hope to maintain budget control.

Good luck with your project.

My multi-room TV solution is not the best you can do, but it works for us.

I have coax and network run to each room with a TV, and a Tivo there. That allows me to watch live TV, and I can also watch recordings from any other Tivo in the house, as well as Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Hulu etc. I also have a file server that has some saved video and audio content on it. The Tivos can play that over the network from any room. And I have a blu-ray player in each room for playing discs.

It's not what some would call a "whole house" solution, but it works really well for us. Yes, it would be more convenient to not have to put a disc in every time we want to watch a blu-ray. But the alternatives for that are either a pain or expensive (or both). The coolest way to go is something like Kaleidescape, which gives you a true whole-house movie library with no discs. But it's insanely expensive. You can rip your DVDs, but it's time consuming and most of the solutions for playing them back aren't that great in my opinion, especially if you have non-technical people using it (which is true for most of us, and even those of us who are technical don't necessarily want a challenge when we're kicking back to watch a movie). You could have a central disc player and distribute the video, but then that leaves you having to go there to put in the discs, and the only real benefit is that it saves you the cost of a player in each room. Blu-ray players are cheap.

There are tons of things you can do, but I think a lot of it is overkill for most people. A Tivo and a disk player in each room with cable and network is a good way to go. Or even skip the disc player if you don't watch many discs.

A camera at the front door is convenient. But it does nothing if you're not home. For security purposes, it's better to mount cameras up high in protected enclosures and which are able to record and/or transmit images.

A local system will just annoy the neighbours. To be of any use, it must be monitored remotely. But not by a telephone line. Every burglar knows that cutting the phone line usually puts an end to that. (The exception is systems that send out a signal every minute or less and respond if there's no reply.)

I've been using a cell phone monitored system. The instant an alarm is sounded--whether by motion detector, contact or glass breakage--a guard service or the police are notified and call the contact number. If there's no response with the correct ID # the police/private guards are dispatched. When our system has been set off, they've arrived in 8-10 minutes. That doesn't keep the bad guys out, but it sure cuts their stay.

Where we moved from, both next-door neighbours and my purchaser were burglarized. Busybody that I am, I had suggested to all of them to install cell monitored systems. But even though they had just paid $1.2 to $2.2 million for their homes, they didn't want to spring for the $600 installation cost and $27 a month monitoring!

The burglars--two kicked in the front doors, one broke a glass patio door--had free rein while the homeowners were away for days. Still, they got off easy compared to another homeowner with an unmonitored system around the corner: the burglars didn't get anything, but they left a backdoor open and raccoons invaded. Talk about party animals!

The security company I have been using for 30 years for my own homes and those I build tells me that wiring a home is more effective than wireless. So I would at least run the wiring. Then, after someone breaks in, you'll be all set to connect it.

The VESA (video electronics standards association) 75x75 through 800x400 numbers refer to the horizontal x vertical spacing of the 4 mounting holes on the back of the display. You look for a wall mount based on the VESA mounting standard, the television's weight (not size) and if any type of movement desired.

Typically, for an articulating wall mount, I will only use one rated for about 150% of the television's weight - sometimes mfgs. are just a little too optimistic and there's nothing worse than getting done and finding the television and mount sagging when extended.

Also, for some reason, the included lag bolts that attach the wall mount to the studs are almost always the absolute cheapest available and then almost always one will snap off during installation - go to the hardware store and just purchase some better quality lag bolts of the same size beforehand.

we have done it both ways...actually 3 ways.

open vented crawlspacew without ductwork
& equipment in crawlspace.

1-air sealing of large openings in floors..under tubs
around plumbing & elec penetrations.
R-25 batts in floor joists. 2x6 joists
not R-19 because it settles creating an air
space between insulation and bottom of floor.
this air space condensates and rots floors.
thus the upgrade to R-30, slightly compressed
to overfill joist bay, resulting in actual R-25 value.
1" extruded polystyrene sheathing with foil facing.
nailed foam sheathing to undersides of joists with
button cap nails. taped all seams. at perimeter
of house foam board was caulked at exposed edge.

this install allowed insulation to perform as it
was no longer wind washed & reducing R-value at
exterior of walls. the foam sheathing added R-7 to
the R-value of floors and moisture could not enter
floors from crawlspace.

this turned out to be the highest performance floor
insulation job.
labor intensive..very labor intensive. thankfully the
house was raised 3 1/2' off the ground making access
not as difficult.
this install was south central La.

after hurricane Katrina in New Orleans we did this
install recommended at that time.

2-air sealed floors from inside crawlspaces..caulk,
flashing, backer rods & more caulk.
no batts in floors.
dow blue board 3/4" installed as above with button cap
nails, seams caulked and caulked at exterior walls.
floor insulation value (again 2x6 joists) were value
of foam sheathing plus minimal R-value of air at rest.

labor intensive, to me..less satisfying results.
pro was..if flooding ever occured these joists with no
insulation would dry quickly when foam sheathing was
cut to allow circulation. once floors were dry again..
then the sheathing could be put back in place.

3-the last type of insulating floors over open crawlspaces
is closed cell foam. again large openings..like plumbing pipes under tubs have to be sealed first. any opening over
3" should have some type of filler prior to install of foam.
install depth of closed cell is 3".
note this is not 'average' fill of 1/2 up to 3" but
3" minimum.

with this install air leakage reduction was achieved,
and insulation value was approx R-20
this performed as well as install one.

here is a link to a study that came out well after
we had been doing installs. but it is nice to have verification.
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/D33F711D-DC4B-4E4C-9ED6-A97DCE9DB026/79806/pub3187insulatingraisedfloorsHIGHRES.pdf

keep in mind with spray foam insulation that floor coverings & types of finishes for wood floors can't form
interior vapor barriers.

best of luck.

Ocean Pearl for the main larger section.

Squirrel for the small section to the left of the main. (going darker emphasises the fact that it's set back from the main house, and that makes it more interesting)

Koala Bear for the next. It's a little bit browner, but none of the greys are stark bluish greys. They are all more greiges.

And for the last section, darker, and slightly browner again, in Ashwood.

Set it all off with crisp white trim and a warm accent color like a brick red/orange or a purplish burgundy for the doors.

I love the look of carrera marble, but hesitate to use it for the bathroom due to the maintenance factors. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Tile Shop carries a line of carrera glazed porcelain tiles that are very realistic looking. It's called the Sophia Series. They have three different colors: white, green, and gold. The white looks like Calcutta Oro, which has blue-grey veining with some red. I compared it against the Jeffery Court carrera marble tiles from Home Depot.

It comes as large as 12 x 12 and also in 6 x 6 and 3 x 6 sizes and it's made in Italy.

I'm also going to get samples from Dal Tile because they also make a carrera look alike tile, too.

If anyone else knows of a good source for other carrera look alikes, please let me know!

I think we paid about $2.25sqft for the tile at the time.

Below is a few photos of our bath just after completion.

The one thing I couldn't find was a marble look alike that I loved. There are plenty of recommendations, and I saw ALL of them in person. Even ordered samples online of stuff I couldn't get locally. None of them worked for me.

It didn't occur to me to take pictures of all the tile I hauled home, or take notes on what it was. I am sorry about that now, since that could have been valuable information to someone.

We are renovating an 1890, Victorian bath. I want to retain a vintage feel, but with a sleek, clean modern design. Trying to marry these two esthetics seems to hinge on the flooring. This is what I had in mind: What I had in mind

The tile became insanely stressful. Amazing how small details can be utterly absorbing and time-consuming.
My specific wants:
Oversized!! Small tile = lots of grout lines = OCD onslaught.
Marble look alike
Grey-ish Carrara look
Bright
Porcelain
Polished
Subtle pattern

I realize this is a super-specific list, but on the chance that one person will benefit from all of my searching, what we are going with is:
Peronda Museum, 18x18, polished, porcelain, bianca carrara

I don't think the online photos I found are really accurate. This has a lot to do with my opinion that you cannot know what a tile truly looks like; until you lay at least three in the space you're going to use it. I will post photos here once I figure out how to make them not huge. I linked to my online photo but the picture was massive. I guess I need to compress it somewhere?

Thank you to all the people who post their photos, experiences, and advice! The forums have been such a resource. I will be sure to post photos of the floor installed and grouted after the weekend!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Bath Renovation

Thermostatic valves and pressure-balanced valves both provide scald protection.

Pressure-balance valves generally control a temp to +/-3 degrees, thermostatic valves to about +/-1 degree.

PB valves are generally single-control valves. You turn the single lever or knob and essentially get 100% volume flow out of the shower head. How far you rotate the valve selects the water temperature. For the most part there is no true volume or flow control. Each time you turn the valve ON you're getting full flow, rotating the valve simply sets the temperature.

There is a "maximum temperature limit" on PB valves, but in general it's more of a mechanical limit that restricts how far you can rotate the lever versus a true limit on the maximum water temperature that can come out of the valve. You set the water to as hot as you'd like it to be. Then you adjust a set screw built in to the valve. The set screw limits the valve from being rotated beyond that setting. It essentially limits the maximum "hot water" to "cold water" mix ratio coming out of the valve.

If you were to turn up max temp on your water heater, you could get scalding water out of your valve if you don't reset the set screw. If you turn your water heater temp down to conserve resources, you might only get lukewarm water out of the shower head until you reset the set screw.

So don't think of PB valves as controlling the temperature. Think of them as controlling the ratio of hot to cold water that comes out of the shower head. You flush a toilet. The toilet refill now demands cold water. The PB shower valve senses that there is less cold water coming through the supply tubing and in to the shower valve, so in turn it chokes down the amount of hot water coming through the valve to maintain the same hot-to-cold ratio through the valve.

TS valves usually have two controllers. One knob/lever to set the volume flow. Another to control temperature. The two controls allow you to have a trickle flow of water through 100% full flow of water at any temperature, from cold to hot.

You can leave the temp setting in the same place for years at a time and simply use the volume control to turn the water flow on and off.

The scald setting on a thermostatic valve actually limits the actual water temperature to a specific temperature. Turn up your water heater? The TS valve doesn't care. It'll still limit the water temp to the max temp it is currently set to. A TS valve controls the actual water temperature. A PB valve controls the ratio of hot to cold water.

It's a difference that you may or may not ever notice.

In a house with good plumbing, you'll usually not notice a difference between the two valves. They both control the temperature just fine.

If you live in an older house with wonky plumbing where you notice a drop in water pressure out of the shower when flushing a toilet, then a thermostatic valve may be the better choice.

If you want the best temperature control, or if you like to reduce the water flow out of the shower head when shampooing without changing the water temperature, then the thermostatic would be the better choice.

"Wireless is a great way to move signals around without having to open up the walls, it can save a lot of patching and painting. If the walls are going to be open anyway, though, you'd be a fool not to run a wire to every place you think you might possibly someday want one, and then run some spares just to be sure.

Sonos is an excellent system that sounds like it'd be perfect for your immediate needs, but you should still wire it. Sonos boxes can communicate wirelessly, but if you plug each one directly into the house network you'll have much less noise interfering with your wifi and won't have to worry about placing each box so that is within range of another. Sonos units also require wiring to the speakers, and you might want those to be installed in the walls or ceilings and wired to wall plates (in each room or all in a central location.) If you think you might want installed speakers at some point, it's really easy to wire for them while the walls are open, then just sheetrock over them and leave them there until it's time to cut the speaker in.

For maximum flexibility I would recommend the following:

Figure out where your router and modem are going to live (let's say the basement, maybe behind the stairs) and mount a network and cable/satellite distribution box there. This should ideally be someplace accessible for when you inevitably need to reboot these things. To this box you should run the incoming lines from the street: cable, telephone if you're doing that, and also satellite (run a few RG-6 coax up to the roof or attic now even if you're not getting a dish right away.) You'll also need power, typically the box will have a knockout where your electrician can install a receptacle that you'll use to power your modem, router, switch etc.

This box will be the hub for your wiring system, all the rooms will be wired directly back to it ("home run" in wiring-speak.)

To cover the house with good wifi signal, you should pick places for wireless access points and run a CAT6 to each of these locations. For a 2500 square foot single-level house I would start with 3 access points, with one in the middle and two more out toward the ends. They should be someplace where you can unobtrusively mount them high on a wall, and where you can get to them for rebooting as needed (hall or bedroom closets are good for this, as are high shelves in built-in bookcases) They will typically need an outlet for power, so plan for that too. I highly recommend getting the access points and setting them up before the walls are closed, so that you can test whether the coverage is adequate and change locations or add more access points as needed. At least bring one and try it in each spot in turn to get a ballpark idea of coverage.

For every large room in the house (bedroom, office, kitchen, etc.) you should have at least one CAT6 drop for a network jack. If you're feeling flush, make it two per location; CAT6 is primarily used for network, but it's cheap and can be used for landline telephone or repurposed to do almost anything else. These should go back to the main box where you will install a network switch, which could be big enough to make all the jacks in the house active at once, or you could get away with having a small switch and plugging in only those jacks that you're actively using. With this setup a housemate/tenant could conceivably have their own second modem in the box providing private internet service to their portion of the house.

For any location where you might want to put a TV, I would run a bundle or a structured cable ("structured cable" is just several standard cables wrapped in an outer sleeve that makes it easier to deal with) containing 2 CAT6 and 2 coax cables. This gives you a lot of flexibility as far as hooking up cable or sat boxes, internet-enabled set-top devices, etc. This bundle should go from the spot in the room where you want the equipment for the TV to the box in the basement. You should also add a conduit or "smurf tube" from the equipment location in the room to the place where a wall-mounted TV would actually hang. This will allow you to pull one or more HDMI (or network, or Kinect, or whatever crazy gizmo comes next) from the equipment up to the screen without draping cables down the wall. Also, of course, consider power requirements for the TV and have a recessed "clock receptacle" installed at each TV location. Just stapling a long HDMI cable inside the wall is a bad idea, since HDMI ends can't really be replaced in situ so you'd be out of luck if the cable were ever damaged, to say nothing of potential future standards that might use different cables or connectors.

For any room where you might want sound, you should pick speaker locations on the walls or ceiling (ideally with good separation but not too close to a corner, and not opposite one another such that they're faced directly at each other) and from those spots run speaker cable first to a spot in the room where you might want to put a stand-alone audio system or Sonos box (this spot should also have network and power) then from there back to the box in the basement. This will give you maximum flexibility when deciding whether you want a centralized audio distribution system or a bunch of little independent systems. I'd recommend 16 gauge wire or thicker, brand is honestly not so important. You can use a single 4-conductor cable so you just need to run one to each room and split it where you need it to reach both speakers, simplifying the wiring process and making it easier to organize the cabling at the main box.

To run the music system, one cheap and expandable way to go would to get a single Sonos Connect box and hook it up to an amplifier, then run the output of the amp through a speaker selector (I've never used this one but it would let you drive 5 sets of speakers from a single Sonos/amp combo. It won't get very loud but is the cheapest way to get started.) You can then set the relative volumes of your zones on the front of the selector and use the Sonos app on your phone or computer to adjust overall volume as you listen. You can easily expand this system as needed by adding additional Sonos units and amps and decoupling them from the selector, or add more zones by splitting the output of the Sonos and feeding it into a second amp/selector combo. Sonos does a good job of combining units to play in unison for when you want the same music everywhere, or you can use multiple units to listen to different things in different rooms. This approach allows you to keep all the amps and equipment in a single location, so you can have sound without devoting shelf space in the room to it. It'll also help you save costs on power conditioning, since you only need one big surge protector.

Here are some guidelines for making sure the work is being done competently and that the right materials are being used:

A good home network specialist will test each network jack and not consider the job done until they all test good. An electician will usually not have the tools to do this as they wire, but they'll be cheaper and it might be worth the savings to you if you can do some basic testing yourself: plug in a router at the main box and then walk around with a computer and making sure it can connect to the router through each jack, then call them back to fix any bad ports. Either way, you should make sure the jacks are tested before a tenant moves in.

All your network cabling should be punched down into a patch panel which should be clearly labeled with the location of each jack. You can then use short ethernet cables to connect each jack to your network switch.

Wireless access points should be set to use the same ssid (network name) and password scheme but different channels. This will allow your phones and laptops to seamlessly roam from one access point to the next as you move around the house.

Coax should be quad-shield RG-6, sometimes people try to cheap out and use RG-59 which is really not adequate for long runs

Low voltage cabling like speaker and network should not be bundled with electrical wiring or run parallel with it within a foot or so for long distances, this can cause noise and interference. Whenever possible low voltage cabling should cross electrical wiring at a right angle.

Standard landline telephone should never share a CAT6 cable with network. (It's actually possible to wire this in a way that will seem to work fine, but your network's speed will be severely degraded because your equipment will be forced to use the older, slower 100 megabit standard rather than the current gigabit standard.) This is different from VOIP that uses the network itself to digitize the telephone signal a la Skype or phone service through your cable or fiber ISP, I'm talking about physically wiring an old-fashioned phone jack to two conductors of the CAT6 that you're also using for network.

A switch is required to "split" the network connection, and an electrician who tries to split ethernet by just splicing (or "bussing") the wires together is bulshitting you and has probably never wired ethernet before, because it won't work at all. I shouldn't even have to mention this but I've seen it done more than once. It's not so bad if they home run it and just splice it all together in the box like it was telephone (you can just rip out their bussing block and replace it with the right stuff,) but if they try to daisy-chain more than one jack it's a nightmare.

On more note; any crawl spaces should be connected together by as much conduit as you can squeeze in, ideally 3 or 4 2 inch pipes, so that there is a path for future wiring to take from one end of the house to the other. They should be clearly labeled at each end so that future workers can find them and know where they go even if you've sold the house or forgotten about them."

Here is a link that might be useful: LED UCL DIY

Then try to find something similar on LightingUniverse.com or LightingbyGregory.com. Ballard's also often has stylish fixtures at a decent price.

Parts List
1. In wall wiring - Ideal brand low voltage wiring (from HD or Lowes).
2. Ideal Plug disconnects (from HD or Lowes).
3. Lights - depends on how much light you want, total length of cabinets.
4. Transformer(s) - depends on cummulative consumption + 15% margin.
5. Inter-connect wiring.
6. Lightbars from http://stores.ebay.com/LEDpro-Lighting Email sales@photonier.com for pricing sheet.
7. Transformer from environmentallights.com
8. Leviton 6613 magnetic dimmers – 1 for each circuit/zone. Check with transformer supplier if you’d like to use a different one. Incompatible dimmer switches can void your transformer warranty. This particular dimmer reco assumes that low voltage (12V or 24V) LED lighting will be installed and contains many details specific to environmentallights type lightbars. Magnetic dimmers from various vendors could be used, but require some testing first. If you use a different transformer, check with the manufacutuer if there are known problems with certain dimmers. You can Hook up the system prior to installation for a test run if possible - switch(es).Things to look out for
1. There is no buzzing/ humming sound from the transformer when everything is hooked up and powered on.
2. All lights are equally bright, especially at the ends.
3. No flickering
4. No problems when dimming.

Tips specifics to this type of environmental lights type lightbar:
1. It’s a waste to buy the long length 3 prong interconnects. Just cut the interconnect wires and attach to a disconnect.
2. Two adjacent prongs are actually connected to the same DC line. The third is connected to the other DC line.
3. The right angle interconnects are probably more useful for connecting bars set at an angle to each other.
4. You could use flat wire under the cabinets as it comes with double side sticky tape. Some DIY work would be necessary with a soldering iron + heat shrink tubing.
http://www.flatwirestore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc
The flat wire is useful in situations where you do not like to see standard low voltage wiring.
5. The plug disconnects would be used to connect the in-wall low voltage wiring to the lighting power cords which connect the lights. It would also connect the in-wall low voltage wiring to the transformer. This way, if you ever decide to change out all the lighting bars to another make, it would be a simple matter of disconnecting from the plug disconnects and perhaps the transformer.

Thanks to davidtay for this information! Be sure to watch both parts of the DIY video below. It’s shows how to wire these to household current.

Here is a link that might be useful: UCL Install Video

Placement/ layout
1. Cans should be > 24 to 30 inches from the wall (on center). Most countertop spaces have upper cabinets (typically ~ 12" deep) + crown molding. The edge of the can may be spaced ~ 12" away from the edge of the crown molding (if present or cabinet if there is no crown molding) making the average distance between 26 to 30 inches.

2. Assuming the need for a fairly uniformly lit space @ 35 lumens per sq ft, the cans may have to be spaced closer together - between 3 - 4 ft apart (if all general lighting is provided by recessed lights). A fairly regular pattern is preferable to a random layout.

3. The actual layout of cans will be impacted by the location of ceiling joists, HVAC ducting, electrical wiring, plumbing, ceiling height, fire suppression sprinklers and other obstructions above the ceiling.

Dimming
The Cree LR6 series lamps do not dim as well as the later models (CR6, ...). ELV dimmers probably work better with LR6 than incandescent dimmers since the total load of the lights may not meet the minimum load requirement for the incandescent dimmer.

Dimmers such as the Lutron Diva CL dimmers work well. The max output is 95%.

Some Choices (in order of preference) and notes
Cree CR6 or ECO-575 (Home Depot branded CR6)
ECO4-575 (Home Depot branded Cree CR4 4" recessed light)
The above are only available in 2700k light color.

Cree LR6 series - including the LE6.

The Cree CR6 and LR6 lamps will not fit into 5" housings.

The standard LR6 behaves more like a surface mount than a recessed light as the LED emitters are close to the surface and the recess is shallow. Some may not like the amount of light spillage (standard LR6).

There is a higher output version of the LR6 that has a much deeper recess.

To prevent the Cree lamps from falling out, the 3 prongs have to be fully extended and a slight clockwise twist made when push installing. The slight clockwise twist will ensure that the prongs are fully extended.

The Cree lamps are currently the best available today (2012).

Sylvania RT-6, RT-4. The lights could be easier to install than Cree lamps as they utilize the torsion spring mechanism. However, the lights do not look as pleasant as the Cree lamps.

The Cree and Sylvania lamps do outperform 26W CFLs (and incandescents) in a standard recessed can in terms of light spread and output as the standard bulb in a can solution traps a significant amount of light. The Cree and Sylvania recessed lamp solutions referenced above have all the LED elements facing outwards so that the effective light output is higher.

The CRI (Color Rendition Index) of Cree and Sylvania recessed lamps > 80.

There is no warm up time required for Cree recessed lamps, unlike CFL light bulbs.

Most recessed lighting is used with flat ceilings. Sloped ceilings would require special solutions such as the LE6 or some other form of lighting (i.e. -non recessed lighting).

Some common objections to recessed can lights stem from
1. looks and performance of traditional can lights (standard bulb in a can)
2. swiss cheese effect from too many holes.

This thread is to show a few techniques for working with Kerdi membrane.

Shower is a walk-in, about 5' by 7'. Door is at a 45 degree angle in one of the corners.

Walk in to the shower and on the short wall to the immediate right are two supply valves, the lower one supplies the wall mounted handheld, the upper supplies an overhead 12" rainshower head.

Moving counterclockwise from that wall, the long wall to the left of the valve wall is an exterior wall and will get nothing but tile.

To the left of that long exterior wall is the shower's short back wall, it gets a 2-shelf niche. The niche is about 36" wide and 30" tall. The lower niche space is 15" high, the shelf itself is 4" thick, the upper niche space is 11" high.

To the left of the short niche wall is another long wall, this wall has the wall-mounted hand-held. If I recall, the sliding bar is 40" tall.

In the ceiling is a 12" rain shower head. Also four can lights for illimination and a fan for ventilation. Ceiling will be tiled.

The wall construction? Kerdi is a vapor barrier, so no barrier is needed on these walls. Tile backer? With Kerdi you can use drywall. I prefer cement board on the walls. Wonderboard or Durock. I used Wonderboard on these walls. The ceiling and niche is done in Hardie, which is a fiber-cement board. Hardie is less brittle, so for me it's easier to cut into narrow strips to trim out the niche, and not as prone to snapping when installing full sheets overhead. I work solo 95% of the time, so it's not uncommon to hold the sheet up with one hand and have the screw gun in the other.

ABOVE: Valve wall

ABOVE: Niche wall, and on the left you can see the stub out for the hand held

ABOVE: Shows the Wonderboard walls and the Hardie ceiling.




ABOVE: With Kerdi, you don't have to mesh tape and thinset the seams. You can fill the seams with thinset as you hang the Kerdi on the walls. No need for tape as the Kerdi will bridge the joint for you. Just make sure your walls are smooth. If you have any thinset blots or chunks of cement that mushroomed when you drove a screw, knock them down so the walls are smooth. Here I'm striking a pose with a carborundum stone.




ABOVE: Setting a plumb line to hang the first sheet. Just like hanging wall paper. I hold the first sheet about an inch from the inside corner. Sheet is about 39-1/2" wide. I want the thinset to extend about 1" past the edge of the sheet. So I drop a plumb line about 41-1/2" or so from the inside corner, and mark the line vertically every foot or so with a tick mark using a sharpie.




ABOVE: Thinset. This is a little thicker than I want. I want it stiff enough so I can flat trowel it on the wall without it dripping all over or running down the wall, as well as it being able to hold a ridge after it's combed out. Not too stiff, though as you don't want it skinning over before you hang the sheet.

fresh air. filtered. measured. dehumidified
before entering living space.

say two bath fans going & stove vent.
barometric damper (like skuttle 216)
opens full amount needed* as fans
shut off, damper adjusts to lesser
need for fresh air.

damper can be set to allow set amount
of fresh air entering at all times
or just when house enters negative
pressure.

costs approx
filter back grill & filter 50-75
duct 25-30
damper 150-200
mastic to seal everything up 15

cost by hvac co to install 200-300

stand alone dehumidifier energy star size dependent
upon floor plan. and size of house 200o sq ft per dehumidifier. home depot lowes...200 & higher

can locate inside utility room with
dedicated drain.
or if r/a is chase style and big
enough locate inside r/a and tie into
drain for hvac if possible.

hows that sound?

It's definitely worth getting out in front on the ducting -- there's a steady trickle of posts on this forum from people finding out too late that they don't have enough diameter.

As Kaseki has explained at length elsewhere, kitchen ventilation must solve two problems: (1) capturing the effluent (hot air, smoke, steam, airborne grease etc.) as it rises off the stove top (2) sucking it out.

(1) you solve with a canopy that overlaps the cooktop enough to trap the rising effluent column, and it's great news that your range is against a wall, 'cause island hoods have to deal with cross-drafts. Ideally you want the canopy to overlap the cooktop by at least four inches, so you are looking for 56-60" wide, and somewhere around 28" deep -- search on "bump out" for more on getting depth.

(2) you solve with a blower with enough cfm that the effluent doesn't spill back out of the canopy after rising into it. Although the Design Guide that Kaseki linked is aimed at pro gear, the basic issues are the same.

Once you've separated the functions into (1) and (2) you will notice that you can buy different things to address them. (1) is just a metal shell. You can often get bargains used -- I got a 54" hood for $400 from a building salvage store. Check out Craigslist. (2) is a blower, and it does not have to be in the hood -- you can use an "inline" blower anywhere in the ducting, or an external blower where the duct meets the great outdoors. I use an Abbaka blower. Moving the blower away from the hood cuts reduces noise.

MUA: Imagine an airtight box. Add a single hole and try to suck air out through it. Not much will happen, right? To draw a steady flow of air out you have to replace it from somewhere. The kitchens most of us grew up in had low-BTU stoves and small blowers, like 200 cfm. But 1000 cfm ... for a typical kitchen that's all the air in the room, every couple of minutes. Two things follow (a) without adequate MUA you won't get enough cfm through your hood and/or (b) if you are not getting the MUA harmlessly, the blower may pull air down your chimney while there's a fire burning, back-draft a gas hot-water heater, or other dangerous things. It's for this reason that a lot of localities now require MUA if your blower is rated over 400 cfm. The actual needs depend on how your place is built. If you live in the tropics and have windows open year-round, you don't need it. If you have one of those new energy-efficient houses so tightly sealed that not a molecule of gas gets in unbidden, you very definitely need MUA. In any case, this is why HVAC people make the big bucks.

The last sentence in the previous message above can't be answered in general. If a house had no combustion appliances (other than the stove), then no matter how tight it was, there would be no hazard from lack of MUA. There wouldn't be much ventilation air flow either, if very tight, but that is a different issue.

What MUA does is keep the house pressure close to that of the outside, which is important so that combustion appliances such as furnaces, hot water heaters, gas dryers, fireplaces, etc. are not backdrafted. A second, but also substantial purpose is to allow the ventilation hood to have a flow rate not restricted by house pressure.

Often there are one or more combustion appliances, and it is important that the house pressure not become negative enough to backflow any of them. This means that the differential air pressure may have to be limited to no more than 0.03 inches of water column.

The MUA path has restrictions that will cause pressure loss, so in many cases an MUA blower is needed to boost the flow. This boost may need control itself, further complicating the air flow into and out of the house.

If the MUA is well balanced, pressure-wise, then it won't affect the air conditioning. But, (!) it is a system that bypasses the air conditioning, and may require heating, cooling, and filtering depending on the needs of the household. If one were to demonstrate that the MUA keeps the house pressure close to ambient for various hood flow rates, then I would hope an inspector would understand that the air conditioning would not be impaired, although its purpose might be partially defeated by cold or warm air being directly dumped into the kitchen.

Ideally, say in a large office building, all the MUA flows into the air conditioning/heating system circuit, so no additional drafts are created. In a commercial kitchen, the MUA is dumped into the kitchen area, and heating and cooling are sized to deal with the flow rate. In a house with existing a/c and heating, the flow in the a/c is not large enough to keep up with the kitchen hood blower, so the separate MUA circuit is added, but only run during periods of serious cooking.

Generally, the heating rates that a furnace can supply via room registers or hydronic heaters are inadequate to deal with high flow rates pulled through windows or an MUA duct in the winter, so additional heating of the MUA is required. (A high BTU oil furnace might be an exception so long as it had a separate loop to a heat exchanger in the MUA path. Commercial MUA will typically use electric coils or gas heat for heating.)

kas

Wolf's solution was to use _their_ passive air damper. Wait, you didn't know they sell one? Neither did I. They don't advertise it on their website!

It's part # 820071. They sent me the installation manual, I've uploaded it to filebin so you can grab it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Installation Manual

After installing the Navien, I discovered this blog. I found it interesting and helpful, so am offering it here for your continued collection of information and research.

I've concluded this is such a personal decision, based upon how one uses water, how frequently during the day, etc., that it's difficult for most people to give others a generic recommendation. Good luck with your research and your decision.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blog of a Navien Tankless Owner living in Canada

Thank you!

We would like surround sound in our great room, however there is no 'real' place to put the DirecTV box, home theater box etc so our builder suggested running the wires to the coat closet using in-wall conduit. We would have to run HDMI, and speaker wire and there would be Power switches for the TV above the fireplace where the TV would go. Has anyone done this and thoughts if RF remotes work well or not? Suggestions?

Thanks

My BIGGEST disappointment has been in Humans and Companies.

The ONLY companies we have not had to do Mortal Combat with have been:
- the delightful Lighting supplier in Chantilly - Dominion Electric;
- the delightful site-finished flooring folks in Woodbridge - Vanover's;
- the rock-star Granite folks in Ashburn - Dominion Granite & Marble.
- the fabulous stonemasons - Greco Masonry.

EVERYBODY ELSE we have had to second guess, third guess, hold their hand, argue with, and repeatedly send the information OVER and OVER and OVER again. Their work has been faulty, broken, leaking, incorrectly installed, incorrectly ordered, the wrong piece, the wrong color, the wrong ROOM, the wrong location, or they have destroyed their OWN work while installing, or destroyed their adjoining work while installing. Or my favorite "oh, uh, we didn't realize that was a "custom" (fill-in-the-blank), so it cannot be ordered within the timeline. Was there anything else that you wanted?" YES - FOR YOU TO GROW A BRAIN!!! ARE WE YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER??? That delightful happenstance was with ABW - Appliance Builder's Warehouse in Ashburn, VA. Thank HEAVENS their "rep" left for another job - but only after spacing out our oven order (which - if people had talked - we would have had PLENTY of time to get the correct color). The other was with the builder - "yes, we can get white oak".... wait, wait, wait, don't order yet, wait wait wait, go on vacation, wait wait.... oh sorry, white oak is a custom order which we don't have time for now - would you like Red oak??" NO!! I wanted white!!! And since there has been further delays, if you had ordered the white oak when you found out that it was a custom order, rather than tap dancing for two weeks, WE COULD HAVE HAD IT BY NOW!

I just assumed that most people had some reasonable intelligence with most things. I am wholeheartedly disappointed. This entire process has taken me to places that I do NOT want to go within myself - and I was prepared!!! Maybe I assumed that "be prepared" meant "know what you want to go where & when". Guess I didn't realize that "be prepared" meant 'be prepared to deal with complete morons and idiots who are in Sales, Rep, and VP positions. And I've heard that people who make this craft their living are not rocket scientists, but holy Heavens - do they know how to tie their own shoes????? These people are funding college educations in Ivy League schools and have beach houses - and you cannot Answer a simple question or explain your quote? Not just one - but ALL OF YOU.

Now the Propane Mafia in Northern VA is up to bat - not only were they total Mafioso in their dealings, but now they install a leaky regulator? If you give us one iota of grief, or try to bill us for an emergency call (when we have not even moved IN yet) I will come visit you in person - my husband is MUCH nicer. And who was the idiot who put a NG regulator on the line joining the Propane tank to the generator??? There are 7 other homes in the neighborhood, and we are MILES away from any NG pipes - were we your first house Sweetheart??

All this compounded by a builder's biz mgr to whom we have had to explain what the word "communicate" means. And his father - The Builder - is a magnificent framer, who does not know enough to surround himself with quality Teams, then nurture them to Success, but surrounds himself with people who make him feel smart, whome he can berate, and who deal with his yelling at them all the time. And who DOES NOT understand yet the fine line between:
1.) I am building a high end Spec home, so I can put anything I want in it, and wow - lookie lookie - I already have a buyer!! and
2.) I am building YOUR custom high end home. I will do ANYTHING you want in that home (as long as you pay), no matter what my opinion of it is, or how stupid I think it is - if YOU want it, I will do it.

BIG difference those two.

And while I have been typing this for your entertainment or information, I have seen an email from the banker, that the builder's biz mgr has not yet gotten back with her on something - so AGAIN he is not communicating.

Freaking unbelieveable....... I gotta go pack.

http://www.squidoo.com/restoration-hardware-style-faucets

http://www.squidoo.com/restoration-hardware-style-bathroom-vanities

Here is a link that might be useful: Restoration Hardwre Vanities for Less

Anyway, before I have to see them in my sisters house if anyone has put them in I would really love to see them!

Thanks!
Kelly

Here is a link that might be useful: Curbless showers installation guide

Our local F..son's is providing some discussion points in its argument against buying plumbing parts to our builder.
Our contract with our builder does not prevent us from supplying our own parts as part of the allowance; builder has only stated that he uses F..son for ease of communication should issues arise during construction but that's it.

So F..son's arguments are:

1) Missing parts in delivery
2) Owner fails to order special parts required for installation
3) Plumber needs to make additional trips if parts are incompatible from outset.
4) F..son's has special "wholesale quality trades fit only" parts & fixtures
5) As part of builder's 1 year home warranty, builder will have to chase down missing parts which may not be same# as trades or mass vendors.

In our own situation, we spent a couple of hours w/ the F..son's designer & they essentially showed us around the store & we picked what was shown on the floor - without really sitting down for hours pouring over their different catalogs.
Some picks turned out to be the same as another of our builder's houses in this development. (not very custom if you ask me)

Ultimately, after compiling a workbook & discovering what our style really was, we were able to nail down on our choices on our own & submitted a list to F..son's for a quote.

F..son's ended up costing $1500 more & they have supposedly access to every single one on our list from their inventory.

Now, we'd rather buy local to support our economy here but @ $1500, we could also buy a home warranty to eliminate all the issues that arises out of the list above.

So, we would appreciate any debate points from the community to educate & highlight for us any PRO's & CONS because right now, with the amount of prep hours that we have poured into our research on the fixtures parts & their compatibility & knowing far more now (help from you all here btw!) than going in - I can say with confidence that:

1) There is no magical parts that a good plumber has, that can only fit F..son's bought fixtures.
2) That a good plumber is able to problem solve any component issue esp. if he's not selling the fixtures & is only fitting it to the water line
3) That the good builder/contractor/construction/inspector team we have assemble will resolve any assembly issue of our on-line components without being a $1500 or more additional cost or cause delays due to parts issues.
4) the F..son's is not selling anything of quality difference than what we are able to get from build.com sites or other reputable vendors.
5) There is no guarantee that F..son's can resolve any parts compatibility issue themselves as quickly as a reputable on-line vendor.

(A very quiet 500 CFM duct booster fan controlled by a switch under the cabinet next to the range)

(A motorized damper controlled by same switch)

The ducting is all in the ceiling. The intake is the proper distance from the hood exhaust, and the ducting terminates with an unobtrusive vent cover about 5' from the range. Sure, it doesn't turn on automatically when the hood goes on, but I use it only when the hood is on high.

So that's my $166 solution to the makeup air problem (not including the contractor's time to install the stuff). So far so good!

The wall is an exterior facing wall.

Our builder says he will need to 'furr' out the wall.
I googled it but couldn't get the an answer that I could understand.

But does furring out a wall means adding another wall in front of the exterior wall (really towards the inside of the house)?
Does it mean adding insulation to the front of the exterior wall & then building another wall in front of that?

Check out these higher end (but not more expensive manufacturers): CR Laine Upholstery, Furniture Noir(Super traditional but eclectic), Stanley Coastal Resort, Redford House, Thibaut Furniture, and the list goes on and on. Big local stores tend to carry a lot of the massive brands and those are not always good value since a lot of them are made cheaply. And, when they carry the specialty brands the mark-ups have to cover a lot of store operating costs.

One of the most affordable ways to buy furniture is to hire a designer to make you a virtual room board for you with lots of furniture choices/price points (Designer often waive board fees if you buy through them). Trade people have access to all sorts of furniture you've never ever seen and they generally can pass on prices below what you pay in most retail stores with big overheads. So, you typically save money this way and end up with higher quality and more interesting furniture. Also, a lot of the ideas they will give you will have shopping links for ballard or pottery barn etc.

I am looking for EVERYTHING, bathtubs, sinks, cabinets (probably get that one locally), fixtures, hardware, windows, doors, flooring, lighting and anything else that I could possible get a deal on!

We don't actually start building until December, however I'm 7 months pregnant, so I'm trying to come up with a list of resources and ideas now so that I'm not searching around for all of this with a newborn on my lap! ;)

I want to avoid this in the new house and the builder is suggesting two 50 gallon water heaters rather than one larger heater.

What is the best way to go? Is one option less expensive/better than the other?

I mentioned a tankless system for the Master bath but the builder looked at me like a deer caught in headlights. His standard according to him is 2 50 gallon tanks and he has never had a client request a tankless or anything other than 2 50's or so he says.

Thanks for the guidance.

Michelle

We do need to know gas, electric, propane as well as how many people in the house.

As someone who DOES have a gas tankless for the last 5 years, I would say that you should check it out. You are a prime candidate (continuous hot water is important, new construction). The only down side is that your contractor isn't familiar with it.

Note: I would only ever recommend gas tankless - not electric- for whole house hot water.

Something you should consider is how far the hot water heater is from the point of use. Contractors continue to put the water heater in the garage and then it takes forever to get to the master bath at the other end of the house. Don't let that happen. Also make sure that the hot water lines are insulated. Can't tell you how many times people on this forum have said the pipes are in the slab and uninsulated - they lose all of the heat to the slab before it gets to the faucet.

Water softeners aren't a bad thing, but I think Ozone89 is overplaying his hand on that issue. I've looked at the warranty and maintenance instructions, as well as the install instructions, for a couple of tankless heaters and none of them required or recommended a water softener. That said, your water quality may vary.

No water heater is maintenance free - we deal with limed up tank water heaters on this board all the time. With a tankless you can (and should) clean them with vinegar. You can't do that with a regular tank heater.

Then, they wrapped the top part with the crown molding...

To finish it, we put stucco on the panels.....

And, the bottom white trim you see in the pic above will actually be covered up with reclaimed wood. Total cost - $350...including the reclaimied wood which was $125 of the $350! Much cheaper then cabinetry and it fits our home style better...so it was a steal imo.

fyi...they also built it so that the hood was attached to this panel that slid right up underneath. So that if I ever need to get to the hood or replace it, the entire hood cover doesn't get destroyed.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

As far as the other suggestions on wiring windows and such, I think its easier said than done. Now a days most companies don't want to wire windows as they don't want to be responsible for voiding the warranty on the window. Our builder did not even offer this as an option for that reason. I would also suggest to throw in a wired smoke detector on each floor as it should help lower your homeowners insurance on top of having the alarm as well.

You do have the option of putting in the alarm after the build which will be more expensive because you will be going wireless vs wired. They do offer wireless window sensors and YES you guessed it, they are expensive compared to wired. I won't even get into that debate of wireless vs wired but my thought is if I can have something hardwired & for less money, I will always take the hardwired route.

Deciding on which alarm to purchase after the pre-wire will basically depend on your needs and what you want it to control. Once we move in I am looking for a system that will do security as well as home automation so I am going to purchase an ELK M1 gold system. Elk and HAI offer the option of professional installers and also are DIY friendly companies that will offer support as well. There are other security/home automation systems which are more dealer oriented such crestron, contrl 4, savant, etc but it just all depends on what your budget is and what you would like to spend. If you just need secuirty you could always pay an ADT or said company that will come in and give you the system for free but then you are stuck with their monitoring system contract and high monthly fee as well. I chose to pay for my system up front which will probaly be about $650 or so to start and I can add to my system (lighting, audio/video, HVAC, sprinklers, blinds, etc)when I choose and can be controlled from any computer or my phone. I also like the fact I can select my own monitoring service. We have a company here that will monitor your system monthly for $9.95 month.

Hope that helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Elk Products

It's also been a difficult job. Bill has masterfully bent the will of the unruly glass tile to make it look perfect and beautiful. I NEVER could have done this myself -at least not to anywhere near the degree Bill did. I would have been in tears by day one, and it never would have looked the way I envisioned it. Bill's been wonderful... professional, respectful of our home, and very, very good at tiling! I know it was not a pleasant job.... I can now see how it must be so much easier working with larger format ceramic tile than these little glass buggers--- I will know NEXT TIME. But---- we're soooooo happy with how it turned out :)

The vanity is mahogany, toilet is Toto, faucets are Kohler Purist and Jado IQ... it's pretty modern but is within a cottage-y house, so we wanted it a little softer than a strictly "modern" bath.

Here are some almost-done pics..... I will post more when it's finished, and when the vanity and fixtures are in:

Here's the bathtub to the right-

and the tub niche (ungrouted) (floor will have light-colored grout)

Here's looking to the left, the toilet area and shower (will have a glass door and wall)

and shower niche area and windows (needs grout in the dark areas...)

The previous thread is here:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg1207570323032.html?5671

This last weekend, we installed and painted all the trim (we routed a radius on the outside edge to match the existing old-house trim).

We installed the Toto Aquia III toilet. This took about 6 hours, a LOT longer than the half-dozen other "normal" toilets we've installed in wood floors. Toto requires 4 mounting holes drilled, and our floors are porcelain tile, which is unbelievably hard. Even using our new hammer drill, we went through SIX diamond bits and two solid hours of drilling. Ugh. But the toilet is a thing of beauty!

Then we installed the Kohler Archer drop-in bathtub. We had been procrastinating this as we knew it was going to be stressful and difficult. This tub has leveling feet, but the best way to install it for a solid feel is still to use a mortar bed. yet you still need to make sure it's sitting level on it's feet, too. Well, our tub deck is tiled all around, and the only access to underneath is at the plumbing end. So it was a day of trial-and-error getting it level. The subfloor underneath was not level. So we had to lift it in and out, in and out, each time planing down the wood pads we'd installed under the foot locations, then testing the level, than adjusting it again. The tile on the tub deck also had some high spots to accomodate for, so it was tricky. When we got it as good as it was going to get (there's still going to have to be a caulk line at places 3/16th thick, but oh, well...) I next suited up for my least favorite DIY job: insulation. The tub's on two exterior walls and we wanted to give ourselves as much insulation as possible. I also cut plastic sheeting around the foot blocks, so the mortar bed wouldn't seep into the wood subfloor. Next we mixed up mortar-mix and laid it in, then covered the mortar with another layer of plastic, added some construction adhesive to the foot pads, and carefully lowered the tub in and pressed it down till its feet touched the pads.

Here's looking from the master bedroom through the hall (small walk-in-closets either side) to the bathroom, during the projects this weekend. I was soooooo glad to clean up all those piles and tools on Sunday night, after literally months of having them there!

Here's the wall cabinet that will be installed over the toilet. It is mahogany and won't have any knobs, it opens by reaching under the door at the bottom (finger recess). The vanity is the same mahogany, with a mahogany top and semi-recessed white porcelain rectangular sinks.

And here's the installed tub and trimmed out window:

Next up:
-shower glass install
-vanity/cabinetry install

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous thread on this project, tile installation, etc.

We also installed the vanity, sinks, and plumbing. We had the basic case built for us, and we made the countertop ourselves. The legs are from Ikea. The sinks are from eBay, knock-offs of expensive Ronbow sinks. The faucets are Kohler Purist. We plumbed all the plumbing (supply and traps) in a 4" space along the wall, so there only needs to be a shallow U-shaped cut-out in the back of the drawer to accomodate the shallow drain pipe.)

The drawer pulls are not installed yet (they'll be George-Nelson-like slim edge pulls on the top edge, about 1.5" wide.) and the mirror is not up yet. DH is making the mahogany frame for that this week. I also need to find a good fabric for the window, and install the door.

Looking from the master bedroom through the hall with the two small walk-in closets on either side:

The tub and niche (faucets areJado IQ) and curious kitten (she loves the heated floor!)

Vanity, shower (minus door) and Toto Aquia toilet

From the shower:

vanity:

Thanks for all your support and advice along the way with our latest project... we're ALMOST done but sort of stalled. We just need to add the door threshold and some pretty natural wood shelves above the toilet, but DH has moved on to other woodworking projects, so those little projects have been shoved down the list of priorities. Since it may be months before I get those shelves (and art/decor) up, I thought I'd at least post some pics of the room as it is now. Forgive the crappy lighting: it's snowing hard so there's no natural light :(

Project scope:
1956 bathroom with 1980's/90's tile, vanity, toilet. Tub was original but sadly unsalvageable: the enale was totally wrecked and stained and impossible to clean.
Suspected some subfloor issues due to leaks.
Budget: $2,500. (final total was a bit under $3,000... so we didn't do too badly :))

The layout was awkward, the door swing used so much of the floor space and only allowed a very small vanity. Since this is the hall/guest bath as well as the primary bath for my teenage daughter, we really needed to maximize storage and vanity space. I drew a new plan which involved moving the doorway to the perpendicular wall. As much as my DH balked at adding additional work, he admitted it was TOTALLY the right thing to do once we finished. The room feels SO much bigger now.

OLD BATHROOM and layout:

Some photos from during the renovation... which was planned to take 4 weekends and ended up taking about 6 or 7.....
DD sledge-hammering the old tile down

lots of rot in the subfloor

Self-leveling-compound poured over the radiant floor heat cables in the floor

The shower area waterproofed with Hydroban (LOVE LOVE LOVE that stuff!)

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NEW BATHROOM and layout plan:

DETAILS:
Since our budget was soooo tight, and we wanted to use quality materials and get a unique, custom bathroom, we had to get creative!!!

Tile:
I had a small amount (it was mostly random pieces and offcuts) of very $$$ calacatta marble mosaic tiles left over from a previous project that I knew I wanted to use. The other materials were chosen around that starting point. I designed niches to use that tile in, as accent, based on the quantity I had. I used inexpensive white marble baseboard pieces from Home Depot for the shelves.

For the rest of the tile, I needed to use super-cheap stuff (the entire room is tiled to chair-rail height), but I didn't want it to look cheap or ubiquitous. I would have used subways, but DD emphatically vetoed them. It's her bathroom, and we let her have a LOT of design input. Since we have other areas in the house that use square tile in a running-bond pattern, I decided to use 4x4s, which are the cheapest anyway, but in a running bond rather than stacked pattern. After bringing home samples of the big-box cheapies, I decided to "splurge" (20 cents more per tile, I think, it was about $2.35 per sf after sales and discounts)) on Lowes next-step-up American Olean Ice White, which has a slight rippled surface that catches the light and adds a layer of interest that the flat, cheaper Gloss White doesn't have.

For the floor, we used American Olean 12 x 18 Pietra Bianco, a limestone-look ceramic tile that I'm surprisingly happy with :) Underneath the tile is radiant-heat cable, so the floor is wonderfully cozy and warm.

Floor grout is Latapoxy epoxy.
Wall/shower grout is Tec Accucolor XT, a super-modified grout that supposed to be a lot more stain-resistant (PITA to work with, though!)

Hardware:
DD wanted girly, vintage-looking stuff, a big departure from DH and my modern aesthetic. We narrowed down the style range, then I started watching eBay for deals. We scored about $750 worth of valves and faucets and stuff for about $275.
Vanity faucet: Moen Monticello
Shower faucet valve, trim, tub spout: Moen Monticello with Thermostatic valve
Shower head: Grohe Relexa Ultra on slide bar (LOVE!)
(after working with a bunch of faucets recently, I can say that the Moen monticello stuff is pretty cruddy compared to the Grohe RElexa, Kohler Purist, and HansGrohe stuff I've used recently.)
Towel bars and tissue holder are Ginger Hotelier.
Curved shower rod is the Crescent Rod. I tried some expandable ones they had locally, but this one (ordered on line for the same price) is SO much sturdier and nicer-looking. It also makes the shower space much larger.

Toilet:
Toto Carolina that we got at a yard sale for $150 including the Washlet seat (which we removed). We were driving down the street and DD -who professes to HATE anything renovation-related- said, "Hey, look, Mom... isn;t that one of those skirted toilets you like?" SCORE.

Tub:
American Standard Princeton ~$300 at Lowes. yeah, we chipped it right away by dropping a tool on it while installing the faucets; luckily there's a repair kit that actually does a pretty amazing job :) We used the American Standard "Deep Soak" drain, which adds a couple inches water depth for baths. I wanted DD to use her OWN bathtub rather than my new one in the master bath :)

Vanity:
an old dresser. We bought it on Craigslist for $40, and DH reworked the drawers to fit the plumbing. He also added modern drawer slides so that they work easily. We bought fabulous vintage glass knobs on eBay (if you're looking for vintage knobs, check out this seller: billybobbosen.)

I painted it BM Dove Wing.
We totally went over budget on the vanity top. I'd intended to bet a remnant of granite... but of course couldn't find one DD and I liked. Then we found this little slab of Vermont White quartzite in the "exotics" bone pile at a local yard. It was over budget but we loved it. Then, of course, we decided that rather than a plain square front, it had to be cut to fit the curvy front of the dresser... which added about $100. So the vanity top was our biggest expense at $480.

Medicine cabinet:
A salvaged cabinet we got at the local Habitat for Humanity REStore about 2 years ago. We framed it into the wall (where the old door used to be), painted it, and I tiled the little shelf area with my calacatta mosaic accent tiles and marble baseboard pieces from Home Depot.

Lighting:
Pottery Barn wall fixture from eBay
Ikea ceiling fixture (like $8 each and rated for bathrooms!)
Fan/showerlight combo is a recessed, can-style fixture by Broan/NuTone. It's AWESOME. Quiet, unobtrusive.

That's all I can think of right now. I think once we have the natural wood shelves up over the toilet, with DD's shell collection and a plant on them, it will give a little but of softness/naturalness which the room needs. It's a little TOO "elegant" right now :)

This is intended for the individual who is embarking on the Building A Home process, and who has NEVER thought to do this. The following is an EXCELLENT example of why you may want to consider doing this. Hopefully others with similar experience will chime in, and perhaps even fine tune or add to this process. Do not expect it to be pretty, and it does not need to be perfect, but it DOES really need to be done!!

The topic here is "DOCUMENT: Take Pictures Of your Walls, Ceilings, Floors, and etc., Capturing The Location of Pipes, Wires, and Whatever - BEFORE the Drywall Goes Up.

And KNOW THIS - while you are taking the pictures, you actually know where you are at the time. Viewing your pictures in three months, you will have NO IDEA where you were unless you Identify The Room, and Mark A Starting Point.

If this interests you, please read on. I will explain How To, then I will give you a fabulous example with pictures.

TIP: In the future months, you will be LIMITED to what the Camera saw - ie, what is shown within the edges of the picture frame. Please do not forget this!!! If you've had Camera 101, they usually mention this, but it is a completely alien perspective to the uninitiated.
So you will need to simply:
1.) Identify your location;
2.) Move around the room methodically (and not jump around different locations)
3.) overlap your image areas.

PLAN THE EVENT.
- Discover the date when your drywall is going in. Do not expect your Builder to keep you apprised - you need to follow the progress constantly and ASK THE BUILDER for a date of When drywall is going in.
- Plan YOURSELF - When & Where? IE, What Time of day is sunlight Where in your house? Think of that as you plan your starting point for taking pictures.
- If you do not have the time, and the schedule will bear, ask them to leave you at least one day to take pictures. This is not unreasonable, and it should be arranged.*
- Take supplies - Camera with fresh batteries, room on the chip or film, water, snacks, a notepad / legal pad, tape, and black magic-marker.

DOCUMENT YOUR HOUSE.
- Start wherever you want - top to bottom, or bottom-to-top. Think that this might be SUNLIGHT CONTINGENT; meaning what time of day do you have What type of light Where in your house so you can see? Might make sense to begin in the basement, for example.
- Pick your Starting Room(s). Identify The Room. Since to your Camera's eye, ALL rooms in your house look like a bunch of lumber running in different directions, you WILL NEED to Identify The Room and Mark A Starting Point (Yes, I know you are different, and a SuperHero, but please trust me on this one).
- After your starting room(s) are chosen, take your black marker & notepad (we used 8.5 x 14 pad) and write something that YOU know will Identify the Room, and what you are photographing. EXAMPLE: write "Basement Storage Area and Exersize Room - start at Outside Door, work Clockwise".
- Take a picture of your notepad showing this note, which both Identifies The Room, and Marks A Starting Point.
- After you've taken a picture of your Notepad, which Identifies the room that you are in & the direction in which you will be working, begin taking pictures.
- Back far enough away from the wall that you capture the wall - floor to ceiling - in one picture. You may want to turn the camera so it takes "vertical" picture. In above example of moving clockwise, as you take the picture, note what is on the Righthand side of the picture.
- The 2nd picture that you take, make sure your Identifying mark is now on the left-hand side of the picture. Take your 2nd picture, and note what is again on the right-hand side of your picture.
- Set the camera where your 2nd pic right-hand mark is now on the lefthand side, and take your Third picture.
- Repeat until the room or area has been Documented.

NOTE: For walls where not much is going on, you might want to maintain this distance. Where walls have a lot going on - electric + hvac + plumbing + outlets & switches, you might want to FIRST DO THE OVERALL, then NEXT DO A CLOSEUP for that area.

- Move into your next area, and again write on your Notepad for example "Basement Guest Bathroom, begin on tub wall & move counter-clockwise".

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Now, if you're thinking "You're KIDDING - what a pain!! This is a LOT OF TROUBLE!". Then please at least skim the below Success Story, and then re-consider: Which is really more trouble?? I spend 4 hours or one single day taking pictures of my walls? or my entire Family is delayed for one to three MONTHS while the builder has to rip out ALL THE DRYWALL in these areas to find the problem because one of his subs made a mistake?? Rental extensions & work vacation changes & storage extensions & school delays & extra expense & interest rate changes & lost-interest-rate-locks & Holiday intrusions & hospital expenses when you get your ulcer or totally stroke-out, & etc., etc., etc.

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A Tale of Validation for Preparation (also called "The Builder Owes You a Big One")

If you read the above, we did this. We documented. I have an older, lower MPx camera, the house was dark, it was 3 weeks after my dearest sweet kitty Fresca had to be let go to her ancestors, two weeks since I'd been sent on a cross-country business trip, and the day after getting back into town from burying my step-father - but we did it anyway. Storms had knocked out the Oven in our rental, and the Wed before the Funeral our clothes dryer quit.
We took pictures anyway.

The Superintendent this week admitted that he thought we were crazy taking so many pictures.

The Tale:
Wednesday of this week, my phone rang. It was DH (Dear Husband) who says "how busy are you?". Well I was at work, and had been up since 2:30am to get ready for work, then drive the 45 minutes out to the construction site to set up 5 hoses, 5 timers & 5 sprinklers, then begin setting timers on the water sprinklers by 4am since they installed Sod the day before - before driving the hour into work & only being 30 minutes late**.

me: "What's wrong now??" (experienced, can you tell??)

DH: "The Plumber was testing the water upstairs, and found out that the hot faucets give cold, and the cold faucets give hot - only upstairs. We need to go through the pictures, and send the Superintendent any picture which shows any plumbing pipes or junctions that might lead to the upstairs."

Well, I know that we took almost 400 pictures, which I diligently backed-up onto an external drive (which I keep with me). I was half crazed from 60 minutes' sleep, so sure! Why not?
I went through the pictures & pulled out 50 or so, zipped them in to 6 different files labeled by room grouping, and sent them via email to the Superintendent. The plumber went over to the Super's house, and they reviewed the pictures. In 45 minutes, BECAUSE WE HAD PICTURES OF EVERYTHING, they found the problem, and had planned an easy solution.

WHAT THIS PREVENTED:
If we had not had pictures of the walls & infrastructure, they would have had to rip out drywall until they found the problem. For us, potentially (in order):
- Basement - ALL the HVAC run in the unfinished ceiling, because plumbing is behind it;
- Basement - ALL the drywall in the "boxed in utility corridor" section where they boxed in the HVAC & plumb & wiring - adjacent to stairs, in the Game Room, along the length of the Bathroom - over tub & over toilet, the ceiling & walls of 2 Closets;
- Main Floor - ALL the shelving in the back of the food pantry, maybe the Butler's Pantry too, then drywall & part of the ceiling along that back wall;
- Main Floor - ALL the drywall in the mudroom "owners closet" and bench area, and part of the ceiling;
- Main Floor - ALL the drywall on two walls of the laundry room;
Then if they still had not found it, Laundry ceiling, garage walls, then on upstairs, Cabinetry & Walls, until they found it.

Doesn't that sound like fun?????? Sounds like a minimum six week delay to me, and THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars out of builder's pocket, and thousands out of mine because I now loose my mortgage lock, storage extension, mover's changed, longer interest on a construction loan, more time in a tiny apartment, and by the time we moved it would be Holidays. In addition to the fact that EVERYTHING that would have to be re-done: re-ordered, re-installed, re-nailed, re-trimmed, re-painted, etc., etc., etc.

An Example of Pictures:

This is an example some of the pictures we took just to show you that "it doesn't have to be pretty, but it has to be done". This one is actually in that basement boxed-in, overhead "utility corridor" where they would have to have ripped out:

Just a random example of a wall in the kitchen - but an example we took which shows a LOT if you look - propane lines, electrical lines, ceiling can, plug outlets, direct wire for VaH & RangeTop, etc. - all in relation to the window:

This is the area of the wall where they planned the swap of hot-to-cold:

This is how we documented this AFTER the fix, so when they seal up the wall, and if we need to know in 5 years where this is, again - we have it documented:

HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE!

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Footnotes:
*Under Plan The Event, just to give you an idea, it took us the better part of a 2-day weekend to photo 4350 sq.ft. on three levels. But then we are OCD & pretty slow moving & particular. Might not take you that long.

**Yes this does seem a little un-coordinated, but that was not my plan. I knew when the yard was going in, and took a day of vacation. When i got there, the builder STILL had not put water to the exterior hose-bibbs - even though I emailed 1 month in advance to do so, again 1 week in advance, AGAIN 3 days in advance, and phoned twice the way they were laying Sod. When I showed up on site, my hose-bibbs were STILL not flowing, and I had my materials & had taken a day of vacation, and when I saw that he was off "playing" on his grading machine on a different lot - I completely lost it. Yes, he left his dozer, and it took them ALL DAY to finish the plumbing to the point that the the bibbs would work. Yes, he was speechless when at the top of my lungs I asked him "then WHY ON EARTH DID YOU ORDER THEM TO LAY SOD IF YOU DON'T HAVE WATER???" Bonehead. Seriously. His response "well, there's water to the tank". I said "YES!! There's WATER IN THE GROUND!!! What GOOD does it do me if I can't get access to it????" That shut him up.
It was a fun day!! (NOT. to me this is abysmally sad) My throat is still sore.......

Using the code as a design guide can result in deficiencies but that is not the fault of the code writers. The joist size tables do not consider long span bounce. The wall systems described are the ones most commonly used but the code does not intend to forbid the use of others. The waterproofing requirements are not extensive or adequate although the addition of the requirement to install materials according to the manufacturer's instructions was intended to fill that gap. Concrete foundations and slabs should be designed to ACI 332 since the IRC does not consider many common detailing problems.

Placing pipes in an outside wall is a design problem that may be addressed by some codes but there is no reason to prohibit that condition. If there were to be a restriction it would have to be based on a map or list of locations similar to the requirements for wall vapor retarders.

You can base your decision about the location of pipes on anecdotal information and other people's opinions or you can design the wall to avoid freezing of the pipe. If you choose the latter, you can use the formula normally used to locate the dew point in a wall in order to determine where the temperature would be 32 degrees or lower.

Ignoring air infiltration for a moment, a water supply pipe 1 1/2" deep in a 2x4 stud wall and insulated with 3 1/2" of fiberglass insulation would probably freeze at about -10 degrees F. Ironically, removing 1 1/2" of the insulation on the warm side would lower the outside temperature needed to freeze the pipe to about -50 degrees but for fiberglass insulation air-infiltrations makes that prediction unreliable.

So the design solution is to air seal the stud cavity and place R-10 or greater insulation on the cold side of the pipe. This is best done with spray foam (Icynene, etc.) and if the studs are 2x6's, the R value would be as much as R-14 which would put the temperature of the pipe at about 55 degrees when the outside air temperature is -30 degrees F. At that outside temperature the house temperature would need to drop below 45 degrees for the pipe to freeze. This design is roughly equivalent to a double 2x4 stud wall with no insulation in the interior wall and 3 1/2" foam or dense-pack cellulose insulation in the outer wall.

The way it was done in my house back in 1903, was to put a "double wall" of wood lath and rough plaster at the middle of the full 2x4 stud cavity throughout the house and at the shower pipe the space behind the pipe was filled with vermiculite plaster. This pipe has never frozen but because of the risk of air infiltration I don't count on protection below -20 degrees.

Remember that these calculations assume that the interior temperature is 68 degrees or higher, so if you set the thermostat at 55 degrees or the bathroom is under heated or you close the shower door you should adjust the calculation.

We live outside of Vancouver, BC. This company is in Burnaby, we have seen there products and were extremely pleased. We have a mix of Electrolux (36" fridge, 30" wall oven, Gaggenau (36" induction), and a Cavavin Frenchdoor beverage centre. This fan was the only item where we saw true value with a budget hood. Stainless steel baffle filters, 860cfm fan, and halogen lights for only $519.00 Canadian. Quite a few different sales people from different high end shops around Vancouver have mentioned this shop. Our model is in the "professional" series which have the better baffle filters.

Here is a link that might be useful: The model we chose

You can fill up the entire back side wall with mineral wool and that will definitely help. If you have any exposed sides or if the top won't be covered up, make sure you get the width and height correct so that the wool will be well hidden from view after the fridge is pushed in.

I should mention that the wool has to be left exposed, since covering it up with drywall or another hard material will just allow the sound to bounce back into the kitchen as it did before (this is why we need to absorb the sound, rather than sound proof).

Most of the noise will come out from the bottom where the compressor is. If your fridge has counter top on both sides, or only on one side, you can work things out so that there's room for inserting wool on the enclosed sides or side - this assumes you have not put in the cabinets yet.

The other option is to place the entire fridge inside a cabinet, but there won't be enough room on the sides to insert wool unless you use a cabinet with the required extra width. If there's not enough side room, you can use a thin material, such as felt, to reduce sound from bouncing out through the sides, or perhaps nothing is needed if it's quiet enough. Just remember to leave enough room for proper air flow.

>> also, our porcelain tile hasn't gone down yet either -- hmmm, should we have the flooring people put something else under the whole

Unfortunately I don't know yet what material works best under the fridge. I've thought of using a firm rubber-like material, but another option that should work fine is cork floor tile. I was thinking of doing this part to absorb vibrations from the compressor rather than the sound itself, but if it ends up being quite enough you may not have to place a sound absorbing wool sheet under the fridge.

Make sure the kitchen tile goes a few inches under the fridge in the front and exposed sides (if any), enough so that it appears as if the tile goes all the way back. Gotta keep things looking good!

Whatever you end up doing, please post in here the results!

I plan on doing more a little. My fridge is in a corner, so when I get around to cutting out the drywall and inserting the wool, I'll do it not only on the back wall, but also on the side wall for extra sound absorption.

I also plan on cutting out a few inches of the back part of the tile floor where the back fridge rollers sit and replacing it with a firm rubber mat or similar material of equal thickness (I want the tile and rubber to be at the same height). That way the back rollers will sit on the rubber and absorb vibrations from the compressor when it kicks into high gear. This is another little detail manufacturers ignore, using cheap hard plastic rollers which have no vibration absorption.

Sine I'm remodeling the entire kitchen, I also plan on placing a cabinet on top of the fridge, therefore I should be able to place a sheet of wool under the cabinet (which if done right will be completely hidden from view) to absorb what sound comes up from the fridge.

The remaining exposed side from the counter up to the cabinets will be closed up with a panel. For the panel side, there won't be much of a gap between the fridge and panel (need to allow air flow), so I plan on lining the panel with a thin sheet of felt or similar material to absorb at least some of the sound.

Note you should NOT place anything on the fridge wall directly, since the walls need to conduct heat out, this is why you need to leave a gap which is usually .5" to 1" for air flow.

My other option was to sound proof the fridge itself, but to do that I'd have to modify the fridge compartment where the compressor sits, and that likely would void the warranty. I'd also have to insert a fan in the modified enclosure to cool the compressor by blowing out hot air (the F&P uses a passive heat exchange system, which means the enclosure is not actually enclosed, but full of air vents which allow sound to leak out), or I could install a passive heat sink around the compressor that extends out side of the enclosure - but this is way too complicated for me!

I bought a Fisher & Paykel, which runs at least 50% of the time. The constant running of the compressor counter intuitively helps with the energy efficiency due to the use of a low power motor that needs to work much longer than a high powered motor, but uses much less energy in the long run.

The almost constant running of the compressor was driving me insane, so I did a lot of research and found out that certain things make the noise worse, such as tile floors (that I have), if the fridge is placed inside a fridge cabinet or not (mine is pushed back against a bare wall in a corner). I then looked into possible sound proofing and sound absorption solutions. In the end, I settled on sound absorption rather than attempting to sound proof (I can explain why if anyone is interested - this post is too long already).

Instead of throwing out the noisy fridge and forking out $5,000+ on a Liebherr, I spent only $40 on a roll of mineral wool sound absorbing material. In my case I bought a product called "Roxul Safe n Sound" at Home Depot. I'm sure you can buy a similar product at most building supply stores. The important thing is that you buy mineral wool (aka rock wool), because not only is it fire proof which is very important, but it's also an excellent sound absorber (not to be confused with a "sound proofer" which serves a different function, or with thermal insulation such as fiberglass insulation which is not designed to be an effective sound absorber).

I placed two side by side 3 inch thick sheets along the back side wall from the floor up (you should cut out the drywall and press it in between the exposed studs - but before doing all that work, test it out first by stapling the sheets directly to the drywall).

The sheets covered most of the height and all the width of the back side of the fridge. This part absorbed at least 50% of the noise that was bouncing off the back side drywall and tile floor into the kitchen.

I also cut a thin 1/2 inch (or so) sheet of mineral wool that fit snugly underneath the fridge (I just raised the fridge up a little and slid it under, then lowered the fridge). That part reduced virtually all the remaining noise.

Note: You MUST allow for proper air circulation around the refrigerator - see your manual for installation and clearance instructions.

The only sound I now hear is the internal fan when it circulates the cold air (no big deal). For comparison, the compressor noise used to drown out the fan noise almost completely. I can only hear the compressor when it kicks into high gear (the F&P has two speeds, the high speed is infrequent), and even that is not much noise anymore.

What a relief!!!

I'm still very much upset that manufacturers pay so little attention to sound issues with their refrigerators. There is no reason why a quiet fridge cannot be inexpensively made that is also energy efficient. The F&P for example has NO sound proofing at all - ZERO!, yet they make the claim that their refrigerators are very quiet.

BTW, I found out that some refrigerators come with an optional sound reduction "kit" or "package" (this means spending more $$$ of course, but may be worth it).

1. When considering tankless, be sure to check the minimum flow on the heater you are considering. There is usually a turn-on and a maintain flow. Lower is better. Once you get much above 0.5 gpm to activate you start running into problems with low-flow fixtures.

2. Insulate your hot water lines.

3. Be aware of potential issues with high-efficiency appliances (washers, dish washers). They need to be able to heat the water.

4. Tankless heaters can be safely set at 105F since they don't store the water. In fact, many of them have a bathroom control to allow you to set the water temp for your bath/shower.

Please feel free to suggest moving things around since we still have time to make decisions.

The builder switched the range & frig+pantry to current position on the right - -previously it was on the left because he said that we can look through one of the archway & see range from the living room.

Below the island seats is the dining room.

Appliances will be:
30" range
Speed oven in wall
Refrigerator
Dishwasher
TV

I went back and looked at what my builder charged for pre-wire and YES you are correct it is rather pricey. My builder prices for pre-wire for audio/video are listed below:

$340 per room for whole house (which included speakers wires to ceiling and cat5e for control)

$90 per run for speaker wires (5+1 surround sound = $540 per room)

$440 alarm pre-wire which included door contacts, siren, motion detector and two keypdads.

I was spent roughly a $1,000 in wire and materials so I was able to save alot of money running my own wire versus the approx $6,500 what the builder would have charged. As you stated earlier it all boils down to wants and needs to be honest my audio/visual request were all wants. I am lucky I was able to pre-wire but if I had not been allowed to do so I would have scaled my wants down just a bit because alot of this if not done before drywall can be even more expensive and more of a mess. If whole house audio is something you want, why not select 2 or 3 zones? This way the infrastructure is in place and you can add electronics when needed.

Now as far as taking builder choices now and upgrading later I think it again all just depends on what it is. For example in the kitchen and bathrooms since I am going to do my own floor tile, we opted for included vinyl so demo wont be a problem at all. On the other hand lets say if you were going with a cheaper tile and wanting to add a more expensive tile later, that I would pass on and just pay the premium if you really wanted because the demo in that wouldn't be worth it to me personally.

Stainless steel appliances to me is an upgrade and not necessarily a deal breaker for me. We took the included black appliances and will upgrade later as I find close-outs and discontinued models. I want mid to high end appliances which the builder charges an fortune for and I don't mind waiting for a deal.

As far as finishes are concerned I think they all are in, it just depends on what you like and will be happy with. I personally like ORB and thats the reason I went with, not because it was the "in thing" :)

Hope that helps, just my .02 cents FWIW

As far as the finishes I think they are all in, just depends on what you like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our home sell/build blog

We think the sweet spot these days are 42" cabinets which will leave us @ least 1ft+ to the ceiling we suspect.

We're all new to this so would like to know what is the conventional wisdom for installing cabinets at what height?

Do we run cabinets all the way up to the ceiling?

Would appreciate any feedback!

DETAILS:
Cabinets: Eudora Frameless
Island countertop: White Macaubus Quartzite
Perimeter countertop: Leathered Absolute Black Granite
Sink: Kohler Riverby Cast Iron
Faucet: Moen Woodmere in Stainless
Hardware on solid doors/drawers: Amerock Highland Ridge in polished nickel
Glass knobs and Bin Pulls in polished nickel: Van Dyke's
Range & Dishwasher: Thermador
Refrigerator: Kitchenaid Pro
Refrigerator Drawers: Electrolux
Sharp Microwave Drawer

Close up of the tile. It's hard to get an accurate color since it's so glossy. It's more blue/green than portrayed in pics:

I was standing on a chair when I took this. I feel like it makes the dining table look like toy furniture! Ha!

Behold...the unfinished bar and the fan with no blades. We live in the deep south...no judging the fan! Behind those closed doors lies my DH's very unfinished man cave.

And you'd know that the day after I took these, my new sofa cushion inserts came in. It's all fluffy and new looking again. Oh well!

The Pantry is actually the same color as the entry you see right past the range wall in the kitchen (BM Gray Wisp). But I didn't use a flash so it looks funky here:

I currently have one of those lights with fans centered in the room.

We have such a moisture problem that the walls and ceilings grow mold. The wood window frames also grow mold. We run the fan for a long time maybe 30 minutes after each shower. There are 3 people who shower one right after another each morning. The ceiling above the tub has puckered and peeled off from moisture. It always has some mold even though we try to keep up with bleaching it.

The fan connects in the attic to flexible duct work that runs mostly horizontal to a vent in the side peak of the house.

It is very important to me that we fix the moisture problem but I also don't want a fan that is super loud.

Since the moisture problem is our most serious issue, my plan is to fix the fan/venting problem first...before we actually gut the bathroom.

So, I am looking for ideas on what we need to do/buy etc. Help hugely appreciated. Thanks.

My flooring store gave me a sample of some off brand. The pattern is ok but the pattern doesn't go all the way to the edges of the tile and I don't like that.

Any other good alternatives??

Not following these Allowance precautions leaves an Owner at the mercy of typical contractor "sweetheart" deals with his favorite suppliers and subs. In this situation GC discounts and even kickbacks are not unusual. It's difficult to say if this additional cost to the Owner is fair or not since the GC is likely to have figured the additional profit in his original bid.

I can't tell you more without seeing the actual wording in your contract regarding Allowances.

Since carpet is the last item to be installed and the pricing at stores is so competitive, most of my clients ask to exclude it from the contractor's work altogether.

I can't really figure out why they aren't willing to deal on the carpet. It would be very simple for me to walk down the street to Lowes to get the carpet. I would be willing to pay a little extra to keep a local shop in business and to know that the installation would be done right. But I'm willing to put up with some hassle to save about $4k. I don't understand why they would rather lose a sale and make nothing than deal a little - a whole house of flooring as got to be a big order for them!

Bev - our contract is not specific about if we need to use his suppliers. It will clearly make our lives easier if we do, though, so I have tried to whenever possible. Up to this point, our builder has been pretty easy to work with and seems to be doing a nice job on the house.

The other suppliers' prices have been reasonable - and believe me, I have comparison shopped! Appliances were the same or a little cheaper than AJMadison. Plumbing was a little higher than Faucetdirect, but not a ton for most items. I offered them to price match for some big ticket items which they couldn't (?wouldn't), so I ordered them online and saved myself like $600. When I felt like the cabinet guy had yanked up the prices, I received plausible explanations on what happened and we were able to work together to get the prices back where they should be.

First a little background. We are empty-nesters in our early fifties. The land we've found is 10 acres with river frontage in New Mexico. We will put a shop there for his toys and the house will need a largish sewing room for my sewing machine and long arm quilting machine (it's a 14' long frame).

I've started a list (and hopefully DH will start his this weekend!) with ideas that I want in a house. From the basic 3 bedroom / 3 bath and the basics I want in those to a little more detail like single floor, flooring, counter tops, etc. I'm thinking if we have a pretty good idea what we want and a basic (even if crude) floor plan to take to an architect it will save time and money in the end.

Is there anything we should be thinking of while we scout around for the architect and builder? Our son has homebuilder 2012 software, does anyone have any experience with this software program?

Or is all of this just my way to deal with the stress and we should just wait until we decide on an architect lol? Thanks for any input as my head is spinning :)

What are the pros/cons of going this route?

I have no idea about the expense of doing this, but I'm curious about its value versus regular fiberglass rolled insulation.

So far I have
- Plugs in kitchen pantry for charging, or for items that may end up living there
- Full size broom cupboard in pantry or laundry room to hide all the cleaning items away from sight.
- Solar tubes in areas that don�t get natural sunlight
- Prewire security system
- Run wire and prepare roof for future solar
- Central Vac with vac pans

Any others to add?

Has anyone else experienced this much of a discrepancy between cost to build on appraisal and appraisal value?

Our true cost to build is somewhere in between - floating around that $100sq/ft and the appraisal is ~$85sq/ft. I havent seen it yet - going off what i've been told.

My concern is even if we/the bank figure out a way to get the construction loan to go through - the appraisal on the back end will come out the same way ...unless someone is able to fudge on the numbers...(we have a different bank we are going through on the permanent side)

would appreciate any input...
thx